Switch-operating device for railways



I (No Model.) v

0. 7w. FERGUSON. SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE FOR RAILWAYS.

Patented Feb; '11, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES \V. FERGUSON, OF JANE SVI LLE, IVISCONSIN.

SWITCH-OPERATING DEVICE FOR RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,485, dated February 11, 1896.

Application filed August 26, 1895.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. FERGUSON, of J anesville, in the county of Rock and State of lVisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Switch Operating Devices for Railways, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in switch-operating devices.

The object is to provide an improved device of simple and economical construction,

efficient in operation, and one which will obviate entirely the necessity of the motorman or driver slowing up the speed of the car in order to manipulate the switch-point by the ordinary rod now commonly employed for that purpose.

With the above primary object in view the invention consists of the devices and parts or their equivalents, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan of the railway-track with my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail view, partly in section, of the tubular conduit, in which a portion of the switch-operating mech anism is arranged. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of a car-body, showing the application of the operating-lever and the pivoted bail thereto, said figure also disclosing one of the rails of the track, the conduit beneath the same, said rail and one of the members of the conduit being broken away and the conduit partly in section, and also showing the lever which is operated by the bail. Fig. 4 is a front view of the car-body shown in Fig. 3 and attachments thereto. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2, and Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section through the shorter member of the conduit illustrated in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 6 indicates an ordinary form of car provided with an opening 7 in the platform thereof, through which opening an angular foot-operated lever 8 passes, said lever being pivoted beneath the platform on the pivot-pin 9 and provided with an inclined rearwardly-extending member 8, the end of which member is adapted to bear against a depending spring- Serial No. 560,534. (No model.)

arm 10, said arm provided at its lower end with a catch 11.

Pivoted upon the ordinary bar 12, which runs transversely across the platform of a car, is a bail 13, said bail adapted normally to be engaged by the catch 11 and to be held at the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3.

The main rails of the track are indicated by'the numerals 14 14, the switch-rails by the numerals 15 15, and the frog, or the section where the rails diverge, by the numerals 16. This frog is provided transversely with a slot 17. To the frog is pivoted the usual switchpoint 18. Passing through the slot 17 is an arm 19, which arm is provided at its upper end with a U-shaped head 20, which rests upon the frog between the side flanges thereof and transversely of the slot. This U shaped head is adapted to receive the end of the switchpoint, as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

The conduit in which internal mechanism is disposed consists of two parallel members 21 and 22, the former preferably longer than the latter, and said members joined by a transverse connecting member 23. This conduit, it will be understood, is buried some distance beneath the surface of the road-bed, and the transverse member 23 passes beneath one rail of the track, so that the parallel members 21 and 22 lie upon opposite sides of said rail, the former upon the inner side and the latter upon the outer side. The transverse member is provided with an elongated slot 23, registering with the slot 17 and adapted to admit of the passage of the arm 19 into the transverse connecting member.

Above the ends of the members 21 and 22 are slotted blocks 24 24, said blocks being flush with the surface of the road-bed. Vertical tubular extensions 25 25 project from near the ends of the members 21 22 to the blocks 24 24 and register with the slots of said blocks. Within these extensions are pivoted levers 26 26. The upper ends of these levers are bent rearwardly at angles and normally lie in recesses 27 therefor in the blocks. The ends of these angular extensions are thickened, as indicated at 28, so as to throw an excess of weight at the ends and thereby cause the levers to resume by gravity the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3. The extreme rear edge of each angular extension is provided with a recess or catch 29, which is adapted to be engaged by the bail13.

Secured to the lower end of the lever 26 is a cord 30, preferably of wire. This cord extends throughout the length of the tubular member 21 and is then passed around a pulley 31 in the transverse connecting member 23, and thence extending in said transverse connecting member to and connected with the lower end of arm 19. A similar cord is connected to the lower end of lever 26 and is extended throughout the length of tubular member 22, then around a pulley 33 in the connecting member 23, and thence likewise extended to and connected with the lower end of arm 19. It is obvious that the two cords 30 and 32 may, if preferred, be made continuous and suitably connected at a medial point to the lower end of arm 19.

In order to firmly and positively secure the tubular conduit, I sink in the ground beneath the ends of the members 21 and anchorplates similar to (See Fig. 3.) Over the ends of the members 21 and 22 are then passed staples 35, the ends of which extend down and through the anchor-plates, and their extremities are bent up against the under sides of said plates or secured in any other desirable manner.

The operation of my device is as follows: If the switchpoint is in the position shown in Fig. 1, so as to carry a car along the main rail, and it is desired that a car should be shunted onto the switeh-rails, the motorman just before reaching the lever 26 depresses the foot-operated lever 8. This has the effect of pressing back the spring-arm 10, so as to release its catch 1 1 from engagement with the bail 13. The moment this occurs the bail swings down from the dotted-line position, Fig. 3, to the position shown in full lines in said figure and engages with the recess or catch 29 of lever26. As the car continues to move along the lever 26 is by the engagement therewith of the bail 13 necessarily turned upon its pivot. It will be understood that there is alternately a slight looseness or slackness in either the cord 30 or 32. In Fig. 6 of the drawings I have shown the slack in cord 32, said figure being a Vertical section through the member Now as the lever 26 is turned upon its pivot in the manner pointed out a pull is exerted on the cord 30, and this cord has the effect of moving the arm 19 in its slot 17, and as the end of the switclrpoint is carried in the upper end of this arm it is obvious that said switeh point is turned upon its pivot, so as to throw the end of the point in a direction necessary to carry the ear onto the switchrails. The movement of the arm 19 is sufficient only to take up the slack in cord 32, so that there is no undue strain on said cord or a strain sufficient to break the same. As the angular end of the lever 26 is raised by the engagement therewith of the bail 13, as shown by said lever in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the car has advanced a suflicient distance to permit the catch of the spring-arm 10 to again engage under the bail and release the same from the recess or catch 29 of the lever 26, the beveled edge of the catch of the arm readily admitting of the engagement. The moment the lever 26 is released the weighted portion 28 thereof causes it to drop by gravity to its normal position. It is obvious that as the end of the switch-point by the operation just explained is carried over from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the opposite flange of the frog the slack is now transferred from the cord 32 to cord 30.

If it is desired that the succeeding car should pass straight along the main rails, said car is allowed to pass over the lever 26 without throwing the bail into engagement therewith. Just before the lever 26 is reached, however, the bail is thrown down. into engagement with lever 26 and said lever thereby turned upon its pivot. As it is thus turned the cord 32 exerts a pull upon the arm 1!) sufficient to shift the arm, and with it the switch, from the position to which previouslythrown back to the position shown in Fig. .1. This movement of the arm 1.) is also just suflieient to take up the slack in cord 30.

It will be seen that I provide a most simple form of switch-operating device, in which the switching is effected positively merely by a movement of the motorman, without necessity of releasing the lever for controllin the motive power of the car.

It will be observed that the endof the switch point is necessarily raised in order to have it engage the U-shaped head of the arm 19. From the fact that the switch-point is raised, it is thus held above the surface of the frog, and its movement has the effect of effectually keeping the frog free from dirt in the summer and snow and ice in the winter.

Inasmuch as the head-blocks are placed in the ground flush with the surface of the ground and as the angular extension of the levers 26 26 lie in the recess 27 of said blocks, so as to bring the surfaces thereof flush with the blocks, excepting the thickened or weighted ends 28, a heavy wagon or truck is permitted to pass over the blocks without seriouslyaifecting the levers. All the other parts of the mechanism connected up to the switchpoint are under ground, and thus thoroughly protected.

I do not wish to be understood as confining myself to the specific construction of details herein shown and described, as it can be readily seen that obvious modifications and mechanical equivalents can be used without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. For instance, instead of the footoperated lever 8, any other equivalent device adapted to accomplish thesame function could be substituted; and also instead of the cords 30 and 32 and the sheaves around which they pass any other suitable connection from the levers 26 26 to the arm 19 could be used in place thereof.

hat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a switch-operating device, the combination, of a frog having a transverse slot therein, a switch-point pivoted in the frog, a movable arm extending through the slot, and having its upper end engaging the switch point to hold said switch-point above the surface of the frog, a pivoted lever, a connection between said lever and the arm, and means for actuating the lever, substantially as described.

2. In a switch-operating device, the combination, of a switch-point, a pivoted lever provided at its upper end with a horizontal extension, adapted normally to lie in the horizontal plane of the trackway, mechanism between this lever and the switch point, and adapted to operate said switch-point, a pivoted bail carried by the car, an arm normally engaging said bail to hold it out of operative position, and mechanism for acting on the arm to release said arm from the bail in order to permit said bail to engage the horizontal extension of the pivoted lever, and to turn said lever upon its pivot and thereby operate the mechanism connecting the lever with the switch point, the mechanism acting on the arm adapted when released from engagement with the arm to permit said arm to return to its normal position to again engage the bail which has been raised by the horizontal extension of the lever, and to release said bail from engagement with the horizontal extension, and to hold it out of operative position, substantially as described.

3. In a switch-operating device, the combination, of a movable arm, a switch -point having its end engaged by said arm so as to be moved thereby, pivoted levers, a cord or cords connected to the levers and to the arm, said cord being so attached to said arm that when one length from the arm to a lever is taut, the other length is slack, and vice versa, and means for actuating the levers, substan tially as described.

4. In a switch-operating device, the combination, of a movable arm, a switch-point having its end engaged by said arm so as to be moved thereby, a slotted block recessed in its upper surface, a lever extending through the slot of the block and provided at its upper end with an. angular extension, said extension normally seated in the recess of the block and provided with an end catch, a connection between the end of the lever and the arm, and means carried by the car for engaging the catch, substantially as described.

5. In a switch operating device, the combination, of mechanism connected with the switch point, and adapted to operate the same, a pivoted bail carried by the car, an arm normally engaging said bail to hold it out of operative position, and means for releasing said bail from the arm, in order to permit the bail to engage the mechanism connected with the switch-point, substantially as described.

6. In a switch -operating device, the combination, of mechanism connected with the switch point, and adapted to operate the same, a pivoted bail carried by the car, an arm normally engaging said bail to hold it out of operative position, and a pivoted footoperateol treadle, having a member adapted, when the foot portion is depressed, to throw the arm back out of engagement with the bail to permit said bail to engage the mechanism connected with the switch-point, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES W. FERGUSON.

WVitnesses:

ARTHUR L. MORSELL, ANNA V. FAUST. 

